The Tree

Environment: Our Tree

The thorny Kiawe tree (left) is said to have been brought into Hawaii by the missionaries to force “natives” to wear shoes. It didn’t work. Historically, Nature usually wins when we try to mess with it.

Newsbyrd is dedicated to adding positive input to the environmental discussion… not just flotsam and jetsam.

Large cooperative initiatives by Pacific Island states and the World Bank Group are formed for sustainably managing the ocean

Published April 4th, 2012. by Okeanos.org Blog author: Lindy Weilgart

Kiribati, a small Pacific island country and part of Micronesia, is attempting to lead the way toward ocean sustainability. This year, along with 14 other small Pacific island states and the U.S. NGO, Conservation International, it signed up to the Pacific Oceanscape Framework. This Framework is an attempt by the signatories to manage their ocean resources cooperatively, share expertise, and work together toward promoting sustainable ocean development.

Kiribati has already created UNESCO’s largest natural heritage site around its Phoenix Islands. This project, however, would link together one-tenth of the world’s oceans (40 million sq. km.), an area larger than the U.S. and Canada combined, containing one-third of the world’s tuna stocks. The countries hope to reduce overfishing, ocean acidification, pollution, and the effects of climate change which threaten their countries’ well-being, even existence, partially through rising sea levels. Conservation International and the Global Environment Facility of the World Bank will be contributing $5 million to compensate for the loss of fisheries due to the program.

Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group, announced the formation of the Global Partnership for Oceans on 24 February 2012, to Save Our Seas–a new S-O-S. This partnership will bring together countries, NGOs, international organizations, the private sector, etc., to coordinate efforts and pool expertise to support healthy and sustainable oceans. A total of $1.5 billion in new commitments over 5 years is proposed. Over the next 10 years, the goals of the Partnership include: rebuilding at least half the world’s fish stocks currently listed as depleted, turning global fisheries from a net loss of $5 billion a year to a net benefit of $20-30 billion by e.g. reforming subsidies, increasing marine protected areas from 2% of the ocean to 5%, and increasing sustainable aquaculture.

Underestimated and overexploited: Steps are underway to support countries to include the value of oceans and the service they provide in calculation of a country’s economic wealth.